Not Jasprit Bumrah!! Pakistan Opener Highlights This Player’s Absence For India In Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan’s former opening batter, Ahmed Shehzad, reckons that the Indian side would miss their aggressive wicket-keeper batter, Rishabh Pant, in the mouth-watering clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Pant hasn’t featured in the 50-over format since the start of the year. The southpaw didn’t play the three-match ODI series against England and the opening game of the event for the national side against Bangladesh.

Rishabh Pant’s ODI performances

Rishabh Pant missed the 2023 ODI World Cup in India due to a fatal accident, and that led the blue brigade to use KL Rahul in the middle order, besides providing him the gloves. The right-handed batter smashed 452 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.33 and a strike rate of around 90, shouldering on two fifties and a century at the best score of 102.

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Pant has overall grabbed 871 runs in 27 ODI innings at an average of 33.50 and a strike rate of 106.22, with five fifties and one century at the best score of unbeaten 125 runs. Most of these runs came in 2022 when he drilled 336 runs in 10 innings at an average of 37.33 and a strike rate of 96.55.

But these are not inspiring numbers for Pant, who has enjoyed so much success in the longest format of the game. Rahul’s keeping and his decision behind the stumps have grown confidence among the management to keep him in the side.

Pakistan’s opener slams Rishabh Pant’s absence for India

Pakistan’s former opening batter, Ahmed Shehzad, reckoned that Pant would be a better option than Rahul on the surface as he could have played with the horizontal bat, which is an advantage on these grounds. He also felt that Rahul would be better on good batting surfaces.

“Those who play with the horizontal bat earn the most success, just like Rishabh Pant. But the good thing for Pakistan is that he won’t be playing in the encounter, and KL Rahul is featuring in the contest. Rahul is more of a conventional player who can bat well on good surfaces. But the way he bats at number six with the high elbow, that’s not what you need in Dubai.” Shehzad expressed this in an interaction on Sports Tak.

The veteran also points out that Pant carries the power to nail the big shots and hit the boundaries in the pockets, where it becomes hard to keep the fielders.

“You need the force, which Rishabh Pant has got, and he hits the ball in those pockets, where it becomes hard to keep the fielders. So, this is an aspect that India will have to keep an eye on. There is doubt of them being ahead in the game.” Pakistan’s former opening batter addressed.

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Hard to believe, but Pant is yet to face Pakistan in an ODI game. On the other hand, KL Rahul has cracked 187 runs in three innings against the arch-rivals and is yet to get out at a strike rate of 87.79, shouldering one fifty and one century.

Pakistan opts to bat against India

Pakistan’s captain, Mohammad Rizwan, won the toss and decided to bat first under the heat in Dubai, expecting the track to get slowed down in the second innings. They brought Imam Ul Haq in the side, replacing Fakhar Zaman.

Rohit Sharma was not disappointed with the decision as he wanted to bowl first on the surface after retaining the same playing eleven. Mohammed Shami lost his line and length in the opening over but gets it back in his second time around.